News Catholic Published by Published by Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Telephone: 0207 112 6710 Telephone: 0207 112 6710 Editor John Clawson. Tel: E-mail johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Editor John Clawson. Tel: E-mail johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk 20p 20p WHERE SOLD WHERE SOLD ISSUE 290 ISSUE 290 October October 2020 2020 MORE THAN 22 YEARS OF BRINGING THE MORE THAN 22 YEARS OF BRINGING THE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER St Sebastian Pray for us Christian books, cards & gifts for all occasions 23/25 Northgate Hessle, HU13 0LW Tel: (01482) 641835 Fax: (01482) 640740 Customers’ Car Park at rear Pope appoints Bishop Patrick a member to the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue P ope Francis recently named Bishop Patrick a member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. The Pontifical Council is the central office of the Church for the promotion of inter - religious dialogue in accordance with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, in particular the declaration Nostra aetate. It is responsible for promoting mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration between Catholics and followers of other religious traditions; encouraging the study of religions; and promoting the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue. Bishop Patrick told The Catholic News, ‘The appointment was a huge surprise to me, but I welcome the opportunity to play a small part in helping Catholics in Eng - land and Wales to recognise the impor - tance of the necessary relationship between `dialogue` and `proclamation of the Catholic faith`. As Catholics we are called upon both to proclaim our faith and be open to the workings of the Holy Spirit in the other religions around us”. “Coronavirus, Church & You” – Survey results and report Results from a major survey assessing responses to the Covid-19 crisis among Catholics in the UK reveals the ex - perience of both clergy and laity during the pandemic. Over 2,500 Catholics (between 19th May and the 26th July) were surveyed about their experiences and attitudes towards lockdown. The survey aimed to ask participants not just what they did but also what they felt about the experience of lock - down, and what they thought the future might hold. How well did people cope with the pandemic? Did it strengthen or weaken their faith? How was it for clergy and lay leaders trying to work in this new environment? How have those receiving ministry found this novel ex - perience? Will virtual ministry become part of the post- pandemic landscape, and will this be a good move for churches? Among its most significant findings:

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It is encouraging to gradually see people becoming brave enough to leave the confines of their homes and re-emerge into semi -normal lives within society as we once knew it. For us here at the hermitage lockdown has created numerous blessings and bought us back to our roots as contemplative priests and hermits, there has been more opportunity for prayer, study and we have caught up on many books we have been intending to read. The garden has had somewhat of a makeover, and a new summerhouse has been built in the garden to add extra space to our small hermitage. Weekends have been quieter, although we have missed supplying in the parishes around the diocese and have felt bereft of the many good people we have met and ministered to while doing this, altogether a more eremitical focus has been achieved throughout the weeks and months for us, even the sound of the door bell has joined in our hours of silence. I suppose here as with most people we are now trying to refocus our lives trying hard not to press the default button however but taking stock of how we may move forward in these still traumatic and different days. We may find ourselves with moist palms, with trembling knees, our lungs hyperventilating, but there is only one useful thing we can do. Step Forward ! following the Light we have been given through God’s grace, trusting that the way will be shown to us in days to come. As you would expect here at the hermitage we live most of our life in prayer and solitude and are convinced that prayer is the Light we are meant to follow. The life of prayer and the Light we follow perhaps we often forget to realise can become an example and Light for others who are stumbling in the dark. The more surely and steadily we cling to the Holy One, then the brighter our Light shines, though we ourselves may be unaware. Most of us in ministry have found these difficult and trying times, we have wondered how best we are able to serve and this is our vocation to serve the people of God in many and varied ways, not least in prayer. Hopefully, we may bring ourselves -all of us back to the basics of our Christian calling to prayer, to pray daily for our world. Yes, the world is in a very dark time, let us keep alive the flame of faith, and keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Homeland awaiting us. The prayer that Jesus taught us to pray is the Our Father prayer, a prayer that is known by people of all faiths and none.To re focus our lives may I suggest we all pray at least the Our Father prayer once a day for our world - that the Light which shines from Christ may be a beacon in our darkened world in these times. Fr. David + h.d.n. Priest and Hermit Diocese of Nottingham The Hermitage ELSTON Editor: John Clawson Editorial Office: Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Telephone: 0207 112 6710 email: johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Website: www.bellcourtltd.co.uk Distribution enquiries: Nick Layton e-mail nick@cathcom.org, Bellcourt Limited, Publication date: Fourth Sunday of the month for the following month. Opinions ex - pressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Diocese. P ublishers and Owners : Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Advertising: tel: 0207 112 6710 Parental permission should be sought before submitting photographs of minors. Views expressed in The Catholic News are not necessarily those of the editor MORE THAN 21 YEARS OF MORE THAN 21 YEARS OF BRINGING THE BRINGING THE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER TOGETHER The The Catholic News Catholic News The monthly paper for the The monthly paper for the Diocese of Nottingham Diocese of Nottingham Wanted - Parish Correspondents The Catholic News is looking for a Parish Correspondent in your parish to send in local news for publication in this newspaper. All items to be emailed to johnclwson@icloud.com before 10th of the month FRANKLY SPEAKING FRANKLY SPEAKING Page 2 The Catholic News. October 2020 Thoughts from Elston Hermitage.......... Parishioners at Blessed Sacrament and St Peter`s have been working with foodbanks in the west of Leicester to provide parcels of tradi - tional foodstuffs to some of the poo - rest people in the city`s diverse communities. Here Nancy Tsvara re - flects on the project, which was funded by the Albert Gubay Chari - table Foundation. "God is love, and he calls us to love, gener - ously and joyfully". This sentence taken from the Nottingham Diocese Faith Into Ac - tion website got me to reflect on my own faith and got me thinking about small prac - tical ways I could show my love. The message resonated with my favourite Zimbabwean Catholic Song titled Mwari Rudo (God is Love) which is the background song to the video I put together thanking our volunteers. The powerful song chal - lenges our faith, to help those close to us first, our neighbours, friends, family etc., and also reassures us that where there is love there is no fear. Although the COVID-19 lockdown meant postponing my final social work degree placement, it provided valuable space to re - flect on my own faith. It offered an oppor - tunity to put into practice my Catholic social teaching of challenging injustices, inequal - ities - principles which also underpin social work. Through this project funded by Nottingham Diocese, we managed to provide the much needed ethnic food parcels weekly to 12 families from June to September. Nancy tells the Leicester Mercury: “Where I come from we have this concept called Nhimbe, which is when the community works together - which is exactly what we did.” God is love - even in lockdown The President and Brothers of Market Har - borough Circle of the Catenian Association were pleased to present their Parish Priest, the Very Revd. Canon Owen O`Neill, with a gift to mark the occasion of his retirement. Fr. Owen, as he preferred to be known, re - tires after completing 55 years as a priest of which the last 19 years were served as Parish Priest at Market Harborough`s Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church. It was fitting then that the presentation took place after Fr. Owen`s last Sunday Mass as Parish Priest. The presentation was made by Circle Presi - dent Bill Kerr . In thanking Fr. Owen for his dedicated service to the Parish and wider community in Harborough, Bill wished Fr. Owen a long and happy retirement. The gift, as a reminder of Fr. Owen’s time in Market Harborough, comprised three framed prints of the Church of Our Lady of Victories and the iconic image of Market Harborough`s 1614 Old Grammar School. The third picture is a lovely portrait of Fr Owen administering and blessing a happy couple at a recent wed - ding . A major highlight of Fr. Owen`s time as Parish Priest was his successful manage - ment of the major building alterations to the church, a Grade 2 listed building , effectively doubling the size and capacity of the church, whilst at the same time retaining its many fine Victorian features and architecture. In thanking the Catenian Circle, Fr. Owen said he looked forward to his retirement and get - ting in many more rounds of golf. Circle President Bill Kerr making the presentation to Fr. Owen This year will not be an easy one for any historian to write about. There are still 3 months of 2020 left and much uncertainty about Covid-19 for the coming winter. Many of us have lost loved ones which would not have been foreseen and these sad and devastating losses have been made far more difficult by the restrictions placed on our Churches. In recent years we have often prayed for more voctions to the priesthood, never has this been more necessary and surely many families will testify to this. Our clergy have not failed to give spiritual support when it had been most needed.May all our loved ones Rest in Peace. Much of the last six months had sadly often been accompanied by political argu - ment most of which we could well have done without. There are two areas which our politicians have been involved, these have not always been obvious during this difficult year. One lesson that really needs to be learned is the much delayed reform of social care for our senior citizens. For a long time and certainly in 2020 it is time for more financial support for those who provide care for all who can no longer live in their own homes. Much of our attention on NHS healthcare this year has concen - trated on ensuring our hospitals have not been overwhelmed. There appears to have been littls support for our care pro - viders. Difficulties were experienced in getting personal protective equipment and vital testing with some providers tak - ing the decision to lockdown homes early which caused much distress to relatives. Sadly some care providers have termin - ated their business. In 2017 we were promised action on Social Care. Will we see more care and nursing homes close this winter? During the summer we had an announce - ment that the much discussed subject of foreign aid was to lose its minister as the department was to be merged into the Foreign Office. The figure of 0.7 per cent which is what we spend from our econ - omy once again came under close scru - tiny, yes there are some who want this to cease because they believe much of it is wasted. In 1970 this guide (0.7) from the United Nations was issued, it was an issue in the General Election of October 1974. I believe we finally gave 0.7% in 2013. The Government must ensure this is not only spent but should take advice from agencies like Cafod to see it goes to those in greatest need. We have seen enough evidence from the English Chan - nel this year, sadly there is much more that we do not see in this most difficult year. Frank Goulding Holy Trinity Parish, Newark Priest’s Retirement Presentation

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Dear brothers and sisters, The pandemic continues to cause deep wounds, exposing our vulnerability. On every continent there are many who have died, many are ill. Many people and many families are living a time of uncertainty be - cause of socio-economic problems which es - pecially affect the poorest. Thus, we must keep our gaze firmly fixed on Jesus (see Heb 12:2): in the midst of this pandemic, our eyes on Jesus; and with this faith embrace the hope of the Kingdom of God that Jesus Himself brings us (see Mk 1:5; Mt 4:17; CCC 2816). A Kingdom of heal - ing and of salvation that is already present in our midst (see Lk 10:11). A Kingdom of justice and of peace that is manifested through works of charity, which in their turn increase hope and strengthen faith (see 1 Cor 13:13). Within the Christian tradition, faith, hope and charity are much more than feelings or attitudes. They are virtues in - fused in us through the grace of the Holy Spirit (see CCC, 1812, 1813): gifts that heal us and that make us healers, gifts that open us to new horizons, even while we are navi - gating the difficult waters of our time. Renewed contact with the Gospel of faith, of hope and of love invites us to assume a cre - ative and renewed spirit. In this way, we will be able to transform the roots of our physi - cal, spiritual and social infirmities and the destructive practices that separate us from each other, threatening the human family and our planet. Jesus’s ministry offers many examples of healing: when He heals those affected by fever (see Mk 1:29-34), by leprosy (see Mk 1:40-45), by paralysis (see Mk 2:1-12); when He restores sight (see Mk 8:22-26; Jn 9:1-7), speech or hearing (see Mk 7:31-37). In real - ity, He heals not only the physical evil – which is true, physical evil – but He heals the entire person. In that way, He restores the person back to the community also, healed; He liberates the person from isola - tion because He has healed him or her. Let’s think of the beautiful account of the healing of the paralytic at Capernaum (see Mk 2:1-12) that we heard at the beginning of the audience. While Jesus is preaching at the entrance to the house, four men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Not being able to enter because there was such a great crowd there, they make a hole in the roof and let the stretcher down in front of Him. Jesus who was preaching sees this stretcher coming down in front of Him. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven’ ” (v. 5). And then, as a visible sign, He adds: “Rise, pick up your mat, and go home” (v. 11). What a wonderful example of healing! Christ’s action is a direct response to the faith of those people, to the hope they put in Him, to the love they show that they have for each other. And so, Jesus heals, but He does not simply heal the paralysis. Jesus heals everyone, He forgives sins, He renews the life of the paralyzed man and his friend. He makes him born again, let’s say it that way. It is a physical and spiritual healing, all to - gether, the fruit of personal and social con - tact. Let’s imagine how this friendship, and the faith of all those present in that house, would have grown thanks to Jesus’s action, that healing encounter with Jesus! And so we can ask ourselves: today, in what way can we help heal our world? As disciples of the Lord Jesus, who is the physician of our souls and bodies, we are called to con - tinue “His work, work of healing and sal - vation” (CCC, 1421) in a physical, social and spiritual sense. Although the Church administers Christ’s healing grace through the Sacraments, and although she provides healthcare services in the remotest corners of the planet, she is not an expert in the prevention or the cure of the pandemic. She helps with the sick, but she is not an expert. Neither does she give specific socio-political pointers (see St Paul VI, Apostolic Letter Octogesima adveniens, 14 May 1971, no. 4). This is the job of political and social leaders. Nevertheless, over the centuries, and by the light of the Gospel, the Church has developed several social prin - ciples which are fundamental (see The Com - pendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 160-208), principles that can help us move forward in preparing the future that we need. I cite the main ones which are closely connected: the principle of the dig - nity of the person, the principle of the com - mon good, the principle of the preferential option for the poor, the principle of the uni - versal destination of goods, the principle of the solidarity, of subsidiarity, the principle of the care for our common home. These principles help the leaders, those respon - sible for society, to foster growth and also, as in the case of the pandemic, the healing of the personal and social fabric. All of these principles express in different ways the vir - tues of faith, hope and love. In the next few weeks, I invite you to tackle together the pressing questions that the pan - demic has brought to the fore, social ills above all. And we will do it in the light of the Gospel, of the theological virtues and of the principles of the Church’s social doctrine. We will explore together how our Catholic social tradition can help the human family heal this world that suffers from serious ill - nesses. It is my desire that everyone reflect and work together, as followers of Jesus who heals, to construct a better world, full of hope for future generations (see Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, 24, Novem - ber 2013, no. 183). Thank you. The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 3 POPE FRANCIS GENERAL AUDIENCE Catechesis: “To heal the world” - 1. Introduction Summary of the Holy Father`s words: Dear Brothers and Sisters: In responding to the grave challenges caused by the present pandemic, we Christians are guided by the wisdom and strength born of the virtues of faith, hope and love. As God’s gifts, these virtues heal us and enable us in turn to bring Christ’s healing presence to our world. They can inspire in us a new and creative spirit to help us face today’s deeply rooted physical, social and spiritual infirmities and change the unjust and destructive behaviours that threaten the future of our human family. Today the Church seeks to continue the Lord’s healing ministry, not only to in - dividuals but also to society as a whole. She does this by proposing a number of prin - ciples drawn from the Gospel, which include: the dignity of the human person, the common good, the preferential option for the poor, the universal destination of goods, solidarity, subsidiarity and the care for our common home. In coming weeks, I will re - flect on these and other themes of the Church’s social doctrine, confident that they can shed light on today’s acute social problems and contribute to the building of a future of hope for coming generations.

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For the last 23 Sundays a group of us have met for a Liturgy of the Word. It was clear from the first meeting that a community of Catholics was being formed in prayer, in fellowship and in love. The foundations of this community were chiefly based in the Parish of Havant and Emsworth where most of the members lived. For most meetings there were over 25 house - holds on zoom with sometimes over 40 participants. Members ranged mostly in the over 50’s but we had young people as well, includ - ing children taking a full part in the lit - urgies. We had people from Basingstoke to Goring-by-Sea in West Sussex and even a granddaughter from Birmingham! The format of the liturgy followed the Lit - urgy of the Word as in the Mass but with - out the Eucharist. We had the Readings of the day, we sang hymns, we had a young mother, called Eleanor, sing the Psalm professionally most Sundays, we had prayers of the faithful. Fr. John Humphries and I alternated with a reflec - tion on the Gospel of the day. The liturgy lasted about forty minutes, but the session was opened 20 minutes before 9 am. At first, I did not appreciate the profound significance of the gathering time. People joined at different times which gave those who had already joined the chance to per - sonally greet the newcomers. We could also call them by name since their names were on the screen. Everyone knows how important it is to meet friends in the flesh, but the next best thing is to meet them virtually. In fact, sometimes we have a greater encounter at a distance. For me personally the meeting was powerfully im - portant especially during the deepest lock - down. This virtual liturgy was possible with the technical expertise of Peter Agius who used his talents as a member of the lay Benedictine Community at Worth Abbey. http://www.laybenedictines.org/bede Here is what Richard Belfrage wrote to Peter a few days ago, “You deserve a medal for all the hard work you have put in organising the weekly liturgy for our parish community these last 5 months. The services have been truly inspirational, especially with so many taking an active part each week. All the singing and es - pecially Eleanor’s singing of the Psalms has always been beautiful. Frs Tom and John brought so much to the services with their eulogies and prayers. We were privi - leged and fortunate to have them. Above all you have kept us focused on the love of God and of our fellow parishioners during these stressful and difficult months. I can honestly say for me it has been my ‘essential Sunday lockdown ser - vice’, which has bought me so much joy, praying with my fellow parishioners. Thank you so, so much Peter and all in - volved. God Bless and Kind Regards”. Richard The other significant development which I saw was how the participants grew in leadership roles. There were several spin-offs that could be termed surprising until you considered the outstanding talents of those taking part. People who were bereaved recently and others who were not well were called on or contacted electronically on a regular basis. They were also included in the Bidding Prayers. Personally, I was really beginning to enjoy incarceration when I had a de - livery of lovely Lebanonise cakes from a Sunday Morning Zoomer. There were extra blessings too, as some people did a virtual Pilgrimage to Canter - bury. On April 30th 35 of us set out for a special virtual journey to mark the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Thomas- a-Becket. The organizers and guides were Maureen and Stuart Thompson. All the Churches in Emsworth were invited to join in and there were enthusiastic mess - ages from both Bishops of Portsmouth and a wonderful message of welcome from the Dean of Canterbury. There was a double importance for this venture in that both the Anglican Church in Warblington and the Catholic Church in Emsworth are dedicated to St. Thomas-a-Becket. By the time we arrived in Canterbury on Pente cost Sunday we had over 100 pilgrims. We also took part in “Thy Kingdom Come” initiative where 60 people of all the local demonisations took part. We joined the national service on Pentecost with messages from Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury. https://www.emsworthchristians.com/ev ents.html The other revealing gift came from Jacky Chong who gave us two Novenas. Her first was a Novena based on the Our Father and her second Novena to Our Lady has just been published. Page 4 The Catholic News. October 2020 By Fr Tom Grufferty Zooming with Jesus and with each other in lockdown

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The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 5 Dear Catholic News of Nottingham reader, Life with cataracts has not been easy for three-year-old Leah, living in East Africa. Unable to see, every morning she sits on an old car tyre, hearing the sounds of her brother and cousins going to school. She feels left out and alone. Leah’s mother is heartbroken that her daughter is needlessly blind. She told us, “Sometimes she cries because of the discomfort. It is as if she sees stones instead of light in her eyes.” Cataract surgery to restore sight can take just 45 minutes, but many families in low-income countries cannot afford the £95 for surgery. You can change that with a gift to CBM today. £95 could fund cataract surgery for a child like Leah. You could also fund PPE equipment and medical supplies to keep health workers safe from coronavirus. Also medication and a skilled surgeon’s time, as well as any follow-up care, including eye drops and glasses. Help us give sight to people in the worlds poorest places. God bless you, Louise Shute CBM Programme Manager Registered in England and Wales under 1058162 and Scotland under SC041101 Please return this form to: Freepost Plus RSKK-HXAX-CYGZ, CBM, Munro House 20 Mercers Row Cambridge CB5 8HY Yes, I will give £95 to help a blind child see the wonder of God’s creation. I will give: £95 My choice amount of: ___________ Title: First Name: Surname: Address: Postcode: If you are a UK taxpayer and if you tick the Gift Aid box when you make a donation, HMRC will add an extra 25p for every pound you donate. I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Christian Blind Mission. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax or Capitals Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference. We will need your name and address to claim the additional 25% of your donation from Gift Aid. Increase the value of your gift by 25% I enclose a cheque/postal order/CAF voucher made out to CBM or Please debit my Visa/Mastercard/Maestro Card/CAF Card Card holder’s name: Card number: Expiry date: M M / Y Y security number: signature: Date: / / 3-digit Cardholder’s You can also call 0800 567 7000 to make your donation today, or visit our website cbmuk.org.uk We will send you an update on Leah’s surgery. We’d love to keep you informed about our life-changing work and how you can support it by making a donation. By giving your email address or phone number below you give CBM UK consent to contact you using these methods: Phone: Email: We like to contact our supporters with postal fundraising messages and updates from the projects we support. If you do NOT want to receive such messages from CBM UK in the future please contact us on 01223 484700 or email info@cbmuk.org.uk. You can update your contact preferences or unsubscribe at any time. You can view our privacy policy at www.cbmuk.org.uk/privacy. You can transform the lives of children with sight loss, their families and their entire communities in the poorest places of the world. Leah has spent her childhood in darkness, you can help change this. A2008PR-02

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Page 6 The Catholic News. October 2020 COVID-19 AS AN EXPERIENCE OF EXILE COVID-19 has turned our lives upside-down in so many ways. The media has repeatedly reported on medical and social aspects—the effects on hospitals and care homes, schools and colleges, businesses and workplaces. Religious implications have often focused on the transfer of Masses online, and the postponements of celebrations like confirmations and weddings. We lament the effects on health— especially the bereavements and the patients lying sick in hospital. We may feel the fear of catching COVID-19 ourselves, as well as being fearful for our loved ones. To minimise the risks, we have had to get used to wearing facemasks and practising social distancing. We also lament the social consequences of the initial lockdown and then of the later restrictions. We lament particularly that many workplaces have closed, and thousands of people have lost their jobs. In these difficult times, some are asking deeper questions: where can we find God in this pandemic? Is God somehow speaking to us through this crisis? As people of faith, where in the Scriptures can we find help? One scriptural model for reflecting on the pandemic is the Jewish experience of the Babylonian exile and eventual return to the Holy Land. During this present time of “exile,” we can turn to the Scriptures for assistance in making some sense of what has happened to us. We can see how the scriptural authors came to terms with their experience of being deported to the strange land of Babylon. We can share their feelings of being alienated from all that was familiar, being forced to adapt reluctantly to new circumstances. Psalm 137 contains a very moving lament, welling up from the anguish of exile: “By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept, when we remembered Zion. How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!” In Babylon, the Jewish exiles lamented for many reasons, including bereavements from war, destruction of their homes, deportation to a strange land, and separation from family and friends. Moreover, the Jerusalem Temple had been destroyed, and so they had nowhere suitable for communal prayer. The author of the Book of Lamentations (traditionally the Prophet Jeremiah) lived through the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. His poetic laments express the profound grief and anguish of the Jewish people being faced with this disaster. “I am one who has seen affliction, under the rod of God’s wrath. He has driven and brought me into darkness without any light. Against me alone he turns his hand, again and again, all day long. He has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago.” Just as the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple meant that the Jewish people were away from their traditional forms of worship, so during the lockdown the church buildings were closed and there were no public Masses. Some people have rediscovered personal and family forms of prayer, and many have watched livestreamed Masses available online. In these past months, there has been a definite sense of loss. For many weeks, people were unable to receive Holy Communion, even at Easter. There was also the loss of the sense of belonging, as people have been unable to join the faith community physically for worship. During the lockdown, millions of people had to stay at home. Instead of the mad daily rush of work and leisure, many people suddenly found themselves with more time. There was time to think and reflect, time to appreciate nature, and hopefully time for prayer. As time went on after the fall of Jerusalem, the author of Lamentations began to find glimmers of hope: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it.” Eventually those who had suffered the destruction of Jerusalem were able to find hope after waiting patiently for God to restore them. During the Babylonian exile, Second-Isaiah addressed the Jewish refugees with the hope of returning to the Holy Land. The exilic prophet brought a message of consolation: “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand, double for all her sins. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” As we reflect on our experiences in the past few months, we can ask ourselves some questions: Have we experienced the pandemic as a time of exile, like the Jewish exiles in Babylon? To what extent have we been able to rediscover the value of silence and prayer? During these difficult months, how far have we been able to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord? Can we look ahead to the eventual hope of recovery, like the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon? The Catholic News looks at the word “Encyclical’’ Fact s , Figures and Fake News FAKE NEWS: The Eiffel Tower can grow by six inches in the Summer From Latin encyclius, a Latinization of Greek enkyklios meaning "circular", "in a circle", or "all- round", An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. Although the term "encyclical" originally simply meant a circulating letter, it acquired a more specific meaning within the context of the Catholic Church. In 1740, Pope Benedict XIV wrote a letter titled Ubi primum, which is generally regarded as the first encyclical in a modern sense. The term is now used almost exclusively for a kind of letter sent out by the Pope. For the modern Roman Catholic Church, a papal encyclical is a specific category of papal document, a kind of letter concerning Catholic doctrine, sent by the Pope and usually addressed especially to patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops who are in communion with the Holy See. The form of the address can vary widely, and may concern bishops in a particular area, or designate a wider audi - ence. Papal encyclicals usually take the form of a papal brief due to their more personal nature as opposed to the formal papal bull. They are usually written in Latin and, like all papal documents, the title of the encyclical is usually taken from its first few words (its incipit). There were active volcanoes on the moon when dinosaurs were alive - most of the volcanoes probably stopped one bil - lion years ago, but new NASA findings suggest there might still have been active lava flow 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs were still roaming. Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903) has issued more Papal encycli - cals than any other modern Pope. He issued 85 encyclicals – more than double any other Pope. No number before 1,000 contains the letter A The Eiffel Tower can grow more than three inches during the summer as the high temperatures make the iron expand. The # symbol isn’t officially called hashtag or pound. Its technical name is octothorpe. The “octo-” means “eight” to refer to its points, though reports disagree on where “- thorpe” came from. Some claim it was named after Olym - pian Jim Thorpe, while others argue it was just a nonsense suffix. You can thank the Greeks for calling Christmas “Xmas”. In Greek, the word for “Christ” starts with the letter Chi, which looks like an X in the Roman alphabet. By Fr Jeremy Corley

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SUPPLEMENT ENCYCLICAL LETTER FRATELLI TUTTI OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON FRATERNITY AND SOCIAL FRIENDSHIP The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 7

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1. “FRATELLI TUTTI”. With these words, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavour of the Gospel. Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother “as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him”. In his simple and direct way, Saint Francis expressed the essence of a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives. 2. This saint of fraternal love, simplicity and joy, who inspired me to write the Encyclical Laudato Si’, prompts me once more to devote this new Encyclical to fraternity and social friendship. Francis felt himself a brother to the sun, the sea and the wind, yet he knew that he was even closer to those of his own flesh. Wherever he went, he sowed seeds of peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the infirm and the outcast, the least of his brothers and sisters. WITHOUT BORDERS 3. There is an episode in the life of Saint Francis that shows his openness of heart, which knew no bounds and transcended differences of origin, nationality, colour or religion. It was his visit to Sultan Malik-el-Kamil, in Egypt, which entailed considerable hardship, given Francis’ poverty, his scarce resources, the great distances to be travelled and their differences of language, culture and religion. That journey, undertaken at the time of the Crusades, further demonstrated the breadth and grandeur of his love, which sought to embrace everyone. Francis’ fidelity to his Lord was commensurate with his love for his brothers and sisters. Unconcerned for the hardships and dangers involved, Francis went to meet the Sultan with the same attitude that he instilled in his disciples: if they found themselves “among the Saracens and other nonbelievers”, without renouncing their own identity they were not to “engage in arguments or disputes, but to be subject to every human creature for God’s sake”. In the context of the times, this was an extraordinary recommendation. We are impressed that some eight hundred years ago Saint Francis urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble and fraternal “subjection” be shown to those who did not share his faith. 4. Francis did not wage a war of words aimed at imposing doctrines; he simply spread the love of God. He understood that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 Jn 4:16). In this way, he became a father to all and inspired the vision of a fraternal society. Indeed, “only the man who approaches others, not to draw them into his own life, but to help them become ever more fully themselves, can truly be called a father”. In the world of that time, bristling with watchtowers and defensive walls, cities were a theatre of brutal wars between powerful families, even as poverty was spreading through the countryside. Yet there Francis was able to welcome true peace into his heart and free himself of the desire to wield power over others. He became one of the poor and sought to live in harmony with all. Francis has inspired these pages. 5. Issues of human fraternity and social friendship have always been a concern of mine. In recent years, I have spoken of them repeatedly and in different settings. In this Encyclical, I have sought to bring together many of those statements and to situate them in a broader context of reflection. In the preparation of Laudato Si’, I had a source of inspiration in my brother Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch, who has spoken forcefully of our need to care for creation. In this case, I have felt particularly encouraged by the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, with whom I met in Abu Dhabi, where we declared that “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters”. This was no mere diplomatic gesture, but a reflection born of dialogue and common commitment. The present Encyclical takes up and develops some of the great themes raised in the Document that we both signed. I have also incorporated, along with my own thoughts, a number of letters, Fratelli tutti (All brothers and sisters) is the third encyclical of Pope Francis. The encyclical has the subtitle of "on frate rnity and social friendship". In the encyclical, the Pope states that the COVID-19 pandemic has proven the failure of the world to work together during the crisis. The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is a plea to reject wars. The document was signed on 3 October 2020, on the occasion of Pope Francis`s visit to the tomb of his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, and was published the following day, the saint`s feast day. We have printed below a shortened version of the Pope’s encyclical full details of which maybe obtained online at vatican.va Page 8 The Catholic News. October 2020

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The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 9 documents and considerations that I have received from many individuals and groups throughout the world. 6. The following pages do not claim to offer a complete teaching on fraternal love, but rather to consider its universal scope, its openness to every man and woman. I offer this social Encyclical as a modest contribution to continued reflection, in the hope that in the face of present- day attempts to eliminate or ignore others, we may prove capable of responding with a new vision of fraternity and social friendship that will not remain at the level of words. Although I have written it from the Christian convictions that inspire and sustain me, I have sought to make this reflection an invitation to dialogue among all people of good will. 7. As I was writing this letter, the Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly erupted, exposing our false securities. Aside from the different ways that various countries responded to the crisis, their inability to work together became quite evident. For all our hyper-connectivity, we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all. Anyone who thinks that the only lesson to be learned was the need to improve what we were already doing, or to refine existing systems and regulations, is denying reality. 8. It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women. “Here we have a splendid secret that shows us how to dream and to turn our life into a wonderful adventure. No one can face life in isolation... We need a community that supports and helps us, in which we can help one another to keep looking ahead. How important it is to dream together... By ourselves, we risk seeing mirages, things that are not there. Dreams, on the other hand, are built together”. Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travellers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all. List of Chapters: CHAPTER ONE: DARK CLOUDS OVER A CLOSED WORLD CHAPTER TWO: A STRANGER ON THE ROAD CHAPTER THREE: ENVISAGING AND ENGENDERING AN OPEN WORLD CHAPTER FOUR: A HEART OPEN TO THE WHOLE WORLD CHAPTER FIVE: A BETTER KIND OF POLITICS CHAPTER SIX: DIALOGUE AND FRIENDSHIP IN SOCIETY CHAPTER SEVEN: PATHS OF RENEWED ENCOUNTER CHAPTER EIGHT: RELIGIONS AT THE SERVICE OF FRATERNITY IN OUR WORLD An appeal 285. In my fraternal meeting, which I gladly recall, with the Grand Imam Ahmad Al- Tayyeb, “we resolutely [declared] that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings. They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment in the hearts of men and women... God, the Almighty, has no need to be defended by anyone and does not want his name to be used to terrorize people”. A Prayer to the Creator Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace. Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war. May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth. May we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us, and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, and shared dreams. Amen.

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Page 10 The Catholic News. October 2020 For this reason I would like to reiterate here the appeal for peace, justice and fraternity that we made together: “In the name of God, who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace; “In the name of innocent human life that God has forbidden to kill, affirming that whoever kills a person is like one who kills the whole of humanity, and that whoever saves a person is like one who saves the whole of humanity; “In the name of the poor, the destitute, the marginalized and those most in need, whom God has commanded us to help as a duty required of all persons, especially the wealthy and those of means; “In the name of orphans, widows, refugees and those exiled from their homes and their countries; in the name of all victims of wars, persecution and injustice; in the name of the weak, those who live in fear, prisoners of war and those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction; “In the name of peoples who have lost their security, peace and the possibility of living together, becoming victims of destruction, calamity and war; “In the name of human fraternity, that embraces all human beings, unites them and renders them equal; “In the name of this fraternity torn apart by policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women; “In the name of freedom, that God has given to all human beings, creating them free and setting them apart by this gift; “In the name of justice and mercy, the foundations of prosperity and the cornerstone of faith; “In the name of all persons of goodwill present in every part of the world; “In the name of God and of everything stated thus far, [we] declare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard”. *** 286. In these pages of reflection on universal fraternity, I felt inspired particularly by Saint Francis of Assisi, but also by others of our brothers and sisters who are not Catholics: Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi and many more. Yet I would like to conclude by mentioning another person of deep faith who, drawing upon his intense experience of God, made a journey of transformation towards feeling a brother to all. I am speaking of Blessed Charles de Foucauld. 287. Blessed Charles directed his ideal of total surrender to God towards an identification with the poor, abandoned in the depths of the African desert. In that setting, he expressed his desire to feel himself a brother to every human being, and asked a friend to “pray to God that I truly be the brother of all”. He wanted to be, in the end, “the universal brother”. Yet only by identifying with the least did he come at last to be the brother of all. May God inspire that dream in each one of us. Amen. An Ecumenical Christian Prayer O God, Trinity of love, from the profound communion of your divine life, pour out upon us a torrent of fraternal love. Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in the early Christian community. Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, discovering Christ in each human being, An Ecumenical Christian Prayer recognizing him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother or sister who makes a new start. Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth, so that we may discover anew that all are important and all are necessary, different faces of the one humanity that God so loves. Amen. Given in Assisi, at the tomb of Saint Francis, on 3 October, Vigil of the Feast of the Saint, in the year 2020, the eighth of my Pontificate.

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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales decided that 2020 be a special year of focus on the Bible, so marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini (Latin: The Word of the Lord) and the 1600 years since the death of St Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin. Having started on 30 September 2019 the year runs until 31 December 2020. I was recently asked, “Have both nations’ Catholics simply been left in isolation to read the Word while being furloughed, locked down and masked up? Some questions can certainly be difficult to answer. Admittedly there are some parishes, deaneries, dioceses which seem to have closed their doors, stayed inside, battened down their hatches and barely maintained former initiatives, as if waiting for the current storm to pass over. But thankfully there are those who have grasped the nettle of adversity and striven tirelessly and effectively to develop the Church’s communications ad intra as well as ad extra . By building on what they have and by adopting methods tried and tested, by embracing new initiatives and by adapting tools to the challenges, they have overcome barriers and the walls have come tumbling down. Examples abound. What you’re now looking at goes some way to making my point. But that point can be better compounded by what all manner of individuals and groups have been bringing about, be that virtually (internet), in hard copy (through the letterbox), person to person (telephone) or more directly yet socially distanced (‘eyeball’). There are constraints on what our churches can do. The restrictions on gatherings will have impacted sorely on church takings. The roll-on effect of those lost donations may well prove financially difficult for some, even financially embarrassing for those with high costs-to- revenue ratios. The more top-heavy an organisation, particularly in times such as the present, the more inevitable and harder the embarrassment. From the early days of persecution and hardship to the latter days of persecution and hardship, the Church has always pulled through, overcoming the myriad trials and tribulations placed in her path. Being a few bob short in the bank is but a minor issue, merely pecuniary. Let’s not forget the one constant that has been the Church’s essence and beacon as it’s that which has carried her through from the very beginning: ‘ In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. ’ Jerome (Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Latin priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. Jerome was born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia. Died: 30 September 420 AD, Bethlehem. Feast: 30 September (Latin Catholic Church) Acknowledgements: Photo of pews by Josh Applegate (Unsplash); Wikipedia for reference, texts adapted and/or images adopted from http://en.wikipedia.org under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- sa/3.0/. The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 11 The Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service would welcome applications from practising Catholics willing to serve the diocese as foundation directors on the board of one of the four diocesan Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts. A passion for continuing to deliver the Bishop’s vision for Catholic education and making a difference is very important. This voluntary role would provide tremendous opportunities to work with fellow directors in leading a large organisation. For an informal discussion with the Director of Education to find out more about what the role involves or an information pack including details of how to apply, please contact Julie Sweeney (PA to the Director of Education) julie.sweeney@nottingham-des.org.uk Peter Giorgio Director of Education Appointment of Foundation Directors SILENCE OF THE LAMB St Jerome Writing (Caravaggio c. 1607) By Dr Jay Kettle-Williams

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Solicitors to the Diocese of Nottingham Offering you a full range of legal services: Wills & Power of Attorney Probate & Trusts Company & Commercial Law Commercial Property Commercial/Property Litigation Residential Conveyancing Employment Law, and more Telephone: 0115 851 1666 At 15 Victoria Street, Nottingham & Tudor Square, West Bridgford E-mail: law@massers.co.uk Page The Catholic News. October 2020 Please remember my intention/s in prayer. …………......………....……........................................ ...........………………..…….………............................ ........................………………..….………................... ..................................................................................... I would like to help your Mission Foundations. My gift of £____ is enclosed (payable to Adorers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Thank you! Please send me vocations information. Name :…….…………............................….................. ...... Address:…..………................................................. ............. ..……………………………………………………… …………….......……...........................……... Please print. REPLY TO: Mother General, Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place, London, W2 2LJ Tel.: 020 7723 7262 Living in the heart of London, the Tyburn Benedictine Community has as its special mission, prayer for the people of England and Wales. Our monastery is built on the site of the Tyburn gallows where 105 Catholics were martyred during the reformation. Our life of prayer draws Sisters from many nations. Already We hold you in prayer. The church needs religious sisters URGENTLY to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community Our Lady of Fidelity Our Lady of Fidelity life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses to the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette. Late vocations up to the age of 46 welcomed. COVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY Central Hill, Upper Norwood, LONDON SE19 1RS Telephone: 07973 6002563 or Fax: 0208 766 6579 Mobile: 07760 297001 Ministers of Religion A major new artwork commissioned to mark the astonishing achievement of St Jerome is to be unveiled on the 1600th anniversary of his death on 30 September. Jerome (c.AD 347–420) translated the Bible from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into Latin, the first scholar to do so systematically. His `Vulgate` translation be - came the standard biblical text of the Roman Catholic Church and is still used today. Now a mosaic commissioned by Bible So - ciety and the Catholic Church in England and Wales is celebrating his achievement. Created by Portsmouth-based artist Pete Codling, `Little Bits of God` tells the story of the Bible using the smalti mosaic technique developed in ancient Byzantium. Jerome himself is depicted in the mosaic with the traditional symbols associated with him of a lion, a book and a skull. But, says Codling: `In this contemporary mosaic the book pages on his desk blend into a com - puter keyboard and his stylised quill pen, or stylus, remind the viewer that Bible reading, learning and studying also now take place online via the internet. The Bible speaks now through the digital as well as the printed text.` Another modern reference that picks up the theme of mortality and suffering is the de - piction of three-year-old Syrian refugee boy Alan Kurdi, drowned in 2015 as his family attempted to leave Turkey. Biblical figures including Jesus, Mary and St Matthew are also represented. Codling says: `The idea behind this artwork has challenged me technically as well as ar - tistically. My research for this artwork took me to Ravenna and Venice in search of ma - terials, technique and craftsmanship. I wanted to portray the Bible visually, and convey the journey of translation from the oral tradition to the digital age in one cohe - rent artwork.` The mosaic stands on a pedestal which is an integral part of the work. It is over two metres tall and is formed of ten panels cre - ated from thousands of pieces of coloured glass. It is currently housed in St John`s Catholic Cathedral, Portsmouth. Next year it will begin a tour of England and Wales. Find out more at: https://www.godwhos - peaks.uk/ St Jerome on a laptop: Intricate mosaic honours Bible translator for the digital age © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk Please support our Advertisers

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SOUL JOURNEY With scripture and stories towards the best we can be Daily readings suitable for Lent or for any time of the Year Margaret Silf DLT, Pbk, 176 pages, 2020, £12.99 Margaret Silf has a way with words: she is deeply simple and simply deep. No wonder she has a dozen books to her name – all published by DLT. She has an eye for detail, and delightful way of telling stories. And she writes from her own lived experience as a mother and grandmother. The cover picture of the book - Mountain Path, Italian Alps by Ul - rich Gleiter - is an image of the spiritual journey, climbing up a beautiful mountain. From a distance it looks easy, but the actual trek is harder than it first appears, and there will be struggles on the way to the top. The author takes the reader- prayer along the soul’s climb with the guide who calls himself the Way, Jesus him - self. Whilst the book is set out daily from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, it may be used at any time of the year. Beginning with Setting Out, she moves through Invitations, Signposts, Obstacles, Fresh Springs, Rocky Crags, Endings and Beginnings, and Look - ing Back. Each week she provides a Sabbath Pause, going over the previous week’s prayer. The scripture is very well chosen – and taken from the recently published Revised New Jerusalem Bible – and each day is backed up by a catchy story. A brief four-page Supplement offers three eminently practical ways of praying: Lectio Divina – the prayer of the listening heart; Entering into the Gospel in imaginative prayer; and Reviewing the day with God. This is a particularly useful tool not just for this special 2020 Year of the Word, but for anyone who would grow in her or his relation - ship with Jesus on their life-long pilgrimage. Another winner from the author! QUOTES Â Â Â Â Â “Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” – (Attributed to various sources) “You never really learn much from hearing your - self speak.” ― George Clooney “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your ha - bits; they become character. Watch your char - acter; it becomes your destiny.”— Lao-Tze “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love.” — Wordsworth Words to live by... DID JESUS REALLY EXIST? and 51 other questions Nikolaas Sintobin SJ Messenger Publications 124 pages, 2020, £11.95 The author, a Jesuit who began life as a lawyer, now works in on - line ministry, sharing the Gospel in a secular and multi-religious culture. He writes for a contem - porary audience, with a two-minute answer to the main ques - tions that arise in the everyday faith life of Christians, and from a Catholic perspective. [Evidently, two minutes is the average time a user spends on a website!] His sources are mainly based on the 1995 Catechism of the Catholic Church and Youcat, the 2011 official youth catechism. The order he chooses to use for his questions is based on the Nicene Creed. And his questions stem from chats he has had with a variety of young people, whom he names in his Epilogue. The book ends with a very brief definition of 52 key words he uses throughout the book. Clearly, the book is not exhaustive, but it may be a useful tool to enable and refresh faith understanding of Christians of any age, and a handy vade mecum for teachers to stimulate discussion, particularly on the major tenets of Catholic Christian faith. PASTORAL MINISTRY IN CHANGING TIMES The Past, Present and Future of the Catholic Church in Ireland Aidan Ryan Messenger Publications, pbk, 144 pages, 2019, £11.95 It is the end of an era for the Catholic Church, not just in Ireland, but in Britain. What Father Aidan Ryan, long-term pastor of an Irish rural community, has wisely and thoughtfully written, could be said to apply equally in Britain. Here we are presented with a selection of his writings from The Furrow, the earliest from 2006, and the most recent from 2019. There are four parts in the book: Irish Catholicism Today; sacraments; parish life; and look - ing to the future. His 2017 and 2019 writings are particularly relevant: how laity, clergy and religious cope with what is effectively the end of an era, and how they face into a future which is going to be dis - tinctly different. He speaks from his broad experience of living through such vast changes, which touch folk in rural as well as urban areas. As we enter a new decade, there is plenty of material here to give much pause for thought and, hopefully, to throw down a practical challenge for concerted intelligent action. For any dio - cese pondering a synod, for example, this is ideal as a starter to stimulate discussion. And it has the hopeful and compassionate touch of Pope Francis about it. © Denis Blackledge SJ WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SCHOOL ON THIS PAGE FOR SUPPORTING THE PAPER Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy Beacon Road Loughborough Leicester LE11 2BG 01509 212204 Head Mrs L Atkins Headteacher Mrs L Atkins The Leaven Carmelite Secular Institute Single and widowed women Seeking to dedicate their life to God Through vows in secular society Contact: The Secretary, The Leaven, c/o The Friars, Aylesford ME20 7BX Tel: 01582 766580 Email: theleavensi@gmail.com Website: www.theleaven.org.uk CALLING ALL The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 13 Free Sample Pack of Foam & fabrics sent by first class mail. When phoning please quote CN101

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Page 14 The Catholic News. October 2020 “ GRANTHAM’S ONLY FULLY QUALIFIED AND INDEPENDEDNT FAMILY RUN FUNERAL DIRECTORS “A professional, compassionate & local service” 14, St Catherine’s Road, Grantham, NG31 6TS Tel: 01476 594422 (24hours) email: funerals@rhfd.co.uk www.roberthollandfunerals.co.uk For details of upcoming funerals please visit www.roberthollandfunerals.co.uk/current-funerals Proud to be Grantham’s only Fully qualified, award winning and family run Funeral Directors. FUNERAL SERVICES FUNERAL SERVICES Helping with all your needs by Denis Blackledge SJ VIRAL PRAYER Loving Lord, the world’s gone viral! What matters now is that each of us becomes a fresh living virus, infecting others to become ever more fully alive and aware that you hold us all, individually and as a community, in your tender, compassionate, loving hands. Loving Lord, what matters now is an infection of real presence, not pretence, true depth, not shallowness, radical commitment, not fancy, living truth and good news, not fake news. Loving Lord, now is the time to re-awaken reverence and respect for self, others, and creation, to act and re-act and relate as guests on our one good earth, to work together as living instruments of peace and justice, to realise that small is beautiful, that each human individual is equally precious and vulnerable. Loving Lord, we live in a brave new world, for each of us is called and challenged to be brave, to be a person of courage, an encourager, someone who puts fresh heart into others, someone whose touch enlivens. Loving Lord, as thet great sculptor Auguste Rodin once stated: “The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” Loving Lord, you said you had come to give life to the full. And that is the challenge for each and every one of us now: to bring fresh hope and vision, beauty and appreciation for all the awe- inspiring wondrous gifts of our Resurrection and Spirit-filled world. Loving Lord, plunge us into the depths, so that out of the depths we may rid our church and world of superficiality, shallowness, indecision, felt hopelessness, and all that smacks of blind selfishness. Loving Lord, take us, bless us, break us, give us, make us living Eucharists, tabernacles on legs. Amen. Please support our Advertisers £1.80 provides a child with a meal every weekday for a month Donate Now at www.reachfoundationuk.org THE REACH FOUNDATION UK

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As our parish The Good Shepherd Church in Arnold, Nottingham came to close during the lockdown period of COVID-19, it was apparent that we would have to seek alternative streams of income to furnish our parish debt and other expenses, so with the necess - ary systems and enthusiasm in place the parish Marketplace was established online on the parish website. A variety of quality items were listed, rare collectables, crafts, upmarket functional design tableware, glassware, art, decorations, and much more. It started slowly with a few purchases via this exposure until while on holiday, by the inspiration of my daughter, she questioned why not give eBay a try, after all you have over 17million traders! What was there too loose. So, many of the par - ish marketplace items were listed and the response has been absolutely great! Watching the bidding of some of the items was a real thrill for me as some of the items gained some incredible gains, one in particular starting at the recom - mended bidding price of 0.99p eventually selling at £50. Another advertised on the marketplace for £150 sold on eBay for £350, a set of 3 dessert spoons and forks sold for £122. So far we have now banked £2 300 from eBay with a few more sales still to come. So with a little inspiration and dedication much can be achieved. Submitted on the behalf of the Good Shepherd Church, Arnold, Nottingham Northern Ireland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has called for abortion to be promoted to adolescents in Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) lessons, it has emerged. Koulla Yiasouma has told the Northern Ireland Office that “access to abortion” should be taught as a “compulsory component” of the school curriculum. Her comments were made in response to a consultation on the UK Government’s extreme abortion framework for Northern Ireland. Currently, the content of the Relationship and Sexuality Education curriculum in Northern Ireland is advisory and children and parents can opt-out. However, the children’s Commissioner has said she looks forward to seeing proposals become a compulsory part of Northern Ireland’s school curriculum. Deeply troubling A spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson said: “The role of a children’s commissioner is to protect the rights of children and young people. Yet, in wanting to promote abortion to adolescents, the children’s commissioner is failing to recognise and protect the unborn child’s right to life. The commissioner is also attempting to run roughshod over the rights of parents to decide when to have an age appropriate conversation about the issue of abortion with their children rather than this being forced on their children by the state as a compulsory part of the curriculum in schools.” The Catholic News. October 2020 Page 15 Northern Ireland’s children’s commissioner calls for abortion to be compulsory school curriculum St Mary’s Derby Celebrates First Holy Communion Children from St Mary’s Church in Derby were finally able to celebrate their First Holy Communion on Sep - tember 5th, after it was post - poned from May due to Covid. Fr Gregory Tobin held a special Mass just for them, their parents and cat - echists. It was a wonderful occasion, full of smiling faces. Parishioners had made ‘Faith bags’ for the children including a hand knitted guardian angel, ro - sary, a cross from staff at St Mary’s School, and sweets. There was an individual cake for them each too. The communicants were blessed with lovely weather and were very excited to receive Jesus in this special way at last.” Who would have thought! £2 300 raised on Ebay Set of dessert spoons & forks sold for £122 Hantel Victorian Miniature figurine sold for £50! Host a virtual parish film night Global Healing and Global Caring are free film- based resources to help people to respond to the damage being done to our planet – our common home. It is for parishes, groups and individuals and aims to engage you with Pope Francis’ vital call to care for the Earth. The films feature experts and engaging testimonies. There are times for discussion and prayer to help stir deeper ecological conversion and fresh practical responses. Why not hold a Zoom film night in the parish, as a way to bring people together amid the current Covid restrictions? You are welcome to use the Justice and Peace diocesan Zoom account. Each film is about half an hour long, allowing plenty of time for discussion and chit-chat. J & P can even set up breakout rooms for you afterwards. Here`s how they can help you set up your parish Global Healing film night: * Find a couple of dates that suit your parish and email Paul at paul.bodenham@dioceseofnottingham.uk with them * Justice and Peace Nottingham will set up an online booking form and check the Zoom account is free * Advertise the date, reminding people of household social distancing guidelines * Watch and discuss the film online with long-lost friends and fellow parishioners! And take it from there: plan action in your parish to care for Creation.

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Page 16 More than 250 pupils, families and staff from St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Marple Bridge came together to take part in a marathon relay and raise over £3,000. The fundraiser was organised by the school’s PTA committee which started planning the event after the country went into lockdown. Members of the school community were asked if they would like to run, walk, skip, cycle, scoot or hop part of a 26-mile mara - thon route around Marple Bridge. The marathon took the form of a relay with each participant given a distance and route to cover before passing on to the next per - son. Each person who took part collected their own sponsorship. Anna Ashton, a teaching assistant at the school, ran the whole distance with all of the participants and the final section of the marathon was completed by headteacher Fionuala Boucher. She said: “We had 123 children take part and there were 250 people altogether. The PTA plotted out the route; each person was asked to run to the next participant’s house or a place that was close by. Anna did the whole distance, accompanying, everyone; I had the privilege of joining the last leg, which was from the school gate and around our new running track, before crossing the finish line. “This has definitely been one of our most successful fundraising events in recent years and we had a fantastic uptake from the school community. I think it really showed that we were still connected, even though many of us were not able to be together physically through lockdown. “I feel incredibly proud of the school com - munity. It was really nice for Anna to be centre stage: she runs the cross-country club as well as other sports activities at school andis a real inspiration. Cross country is a bit of a tradition at our school – often 50 or so turn up for the weekly club with Anna.” Anna said: “It was a great event, running a marathon surrounded by happy, enthusi - astic fun-filled St Mary children and on a sunny day! I loved to see their faces light up as we approached each station. It was won - derful to see their talented running abilities and the support from their parents and our very own PTA Support Vehicle. The money raised will be used to buy equip - ment for pupils in school which will be se - lected from a wish list drawn up by teachers. Community at St Mary`s CVA in Marple Bridge holds marathon relay and raises over £3,000 Continued from page 1 Of those polled 93% accessed Church ser - vices online during COVID19. This high fig - ure naturally reflects the fact that this was an online survey circulated directly by Bishops, clergy, religious orders, lay and di - ocesan networks. While there was a high level of engagement and appreciation of online worship (66%) the results suggest that there is little danger of a mass exodus to the virtual world, with only 4% thinking they would worship mainly or entirely online in the future. A majority (61%) felt that closing church buildings during the lockdown was the right decision. 80% think that church buildings are central to faith witness in the community and 84% disagreed with the suggestion that church buildings are an unnecessary burden and ex - pense. 82% of Catholics thought that the NHS had responded well to the crisis, whilst just over half of Catholics felt that their church at a national level had responded well (53%) and only about a fifth (22%) of people agreed that the Government led the nation well dur - ing the lockdown. Many Catholics polled (63%) had had some contact with clergy or a lay representative during lockdown ranging from pastoral sup - port, practical help, prayer, church admin, or just checking up. Catholics surveyed said that lockdown had helped them to feel closer to God (50%) and more prayerful (54%). The findings suggest that the experience of Catholics differs from the speculation in some quarters that British Christians as a whole enthusiastically celebrate the replace - ment of the activities of the Church with on - line provision. Catholics miss their churches. In particular it seems that younger Catholics were more likely to be opposed to lockdown and felt more strongly about the importance of church buildings than did older people who were surveyed. Professor Francis Davis, University of Bir - mingham and Oxford, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Catholic Voices to undertake what may be one of the biggest surveys ever undertaken of the Catholic community in England and Wales. We wanted to find out how Catholics had been coping and what impact the crisis has had on people’s faith and their attitudes towards the Church. I am convinced that the report and its findings will be a vital resource in the discussions about the future of the Church in England and Wales." Brenden Thompson, CEO Catholic Voices, said: “I am pleasantly surprised by many of the findings of this survey. Catholics miss their parishes and church buildings and seem eager to return, not just content with ‘virtual Church’. Many it seems, by and large, have backed the Bishops, been grate - ful for the efforts of clergy to livestream, and many have even felt at times closer to God and been more prayerful than usual. That said, the challenges ahead are real, so if we want to capitalise on this goodwill, we need to start thinking seriously about the conver - sations that need to happen as more and more begin returning to parishes." The Catholic News. October 2020 Volunteers needed in the Archive team The Diocesan Archive Team are looking to recruit some volunteers. The Diocesan Archives are currently based in the centre of Nottingham, and the collection contains a wealth of material covering the history of the Catholic Church in the East Midlands. The current team, Archivist Canon Anthony Dolan and Assistant John Boland-Lee, are looking for volunteers with an interest in history and with some IT skills to assist with the Archives. As part of the Archives Team, you will be undertaking general office duties including labelling, filing, sorting and catalo - guing documents. Full training and support will be provided. If you are interested, please contact Joanna Matthews at joanna.matthews@dioceseof - nottingham.uk for further details.

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